A Department of Defense delegation has concluded a visit
to China to discuss additional cooperation in resolving POW and
MIA cases.

Jerry D. Jennings, the deputy assistant secretary of
defense for POW and Missing Personnel Affairs, led a team of
specialists to China this week to explore opportunities with
Chinese officials. During his five days in China, Jennings met
with U.S. and Chinese officials to emphasize the commitment of
the U.S. government to POW and MIA accounting.

He met in Beijing with officials of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense Foreign Affairs
Office, and the Red Cross Society of China to discuss ways in
which the Chinese government could be of assistance.

"Chinese records may well hold the key to helping us
resolve many of the cases of American POWs and MIAs from the
Vietnam War, the Korean War and the Cold War," Jennings said."

"The government of China has been very cooperative in our
investigations of World War II and Vietnam losses, and has on
several occasions notified the U.S. government of China's
discovery of some loss sites. Both sides suggested ways to
enhance cooperation on Korean War cases and acknowledged that we
have limited time to achieve this goal. Toward this end, both
sides agreed to increase the frequency of contacts," Jennings
added.

Last year, China hosted teams of U.S. specialists to
investigate two WWII aircraft crash sites and one Cold War crash
site. Follow-on investigations are to continue at these sites.

During the delegation's meetings with Chinese officials,
the team explored options for gaining information from Chinese
archival materials at the national and provincial levels. These
records may be helpful to analysts investigating American POWs
and personnel who were lost during combat operations.

Mr. Jennings requested the assistance of Chinese civilian
researchers who could conduct archival research on behalf of the
U.S. government. Additionally, the U.S. visitors sought
information from the Dandong Museum relating to two F-86 pilots
who are missing in action from the Korean War.

U.S. officials also want to resume contact with Peoples'
Liberation Army veterans from the Korean War in order to build
upon information related to the Chinese operation of POW camps
during the war.